Comments on: Probability theory for programmershttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html
Brain candy for Happy MutantsMon, 15 Sep 2014 23:11:17 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2By: CastanhasDoParahttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html#comment-1626896
Sun, 13 Jan 2013 07:14:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=204734#comment-1626896So how about a link to your clear and concise universal grammar/language that all can use to do everything. I personally know several gurus who would be totally willing to throw mad mad money in your (that/this) direction for such a solution to this very general problem. Seriously, dude, we’re waiting.
]]>By: Nylundhttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html#comment-1625355
Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:54:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=204734#comment-1625355Agreed. I’ve done Ph.D. level statistics. This reads like a sloppy version of Casella and Berger. Just read the real thing if it’s going to be presented in this manner. I was hoping for something new.

]]>By: DewiMorganhttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html#comment-1624559
Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:35:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=204734#comment-1624559“Giant zigzag, sitting on two symbols separated by a scarab’s butt.” The diagram is three lines high, and displayed as an image.

It means:

FOREACH (o IN O)
x += f(o)

…which is still unacceptable. It’s TERRIBLE. It would quite possibly get a programmer fired, but is considered perfectly acceptable for math professors.

Mathematicians think mathematical notation is acceptable in teaching. It is NOT acceptable, for several reasons.

1) It is not copy-pastable.
2) It is not searchable – Google is blind to these things: pasting in an omega will not give you what you want.
3) It is not linkable. So someone seeing a sum or union symbol has literally NO way of finding out what they mean. An arrow pointing to the right… what does that mean? This arrow has two bars. Hrm. Nope. I got nothing.
4) They feel it is sufficient to provide an explanation in these esoteric alchemical symbols; therefore many wiki pages are left incomplete, where otherwise an intelligible explanation might be given; thus they reduce the sum of human knowledge.
5) They choose the world’s worst variable names. The above code is NOT acceptable. When they write programs, they write them with global variables ‘a’ through ‘z’, then start again at ‘aa’, ‘ab’ – this is not a rarity, it is a commonplace amongst math professors in most faculties. It is how they think: without clarity or any need to explain their workings.

Now that’s getting closer to the right way to do it. Without esoteric one-letter symbols to represent things, you stand a chance of being able to see at a glance what is going on.

Mathemagical symbols were designed for writing quickly on blackboards. They are the WRONG TOOL for writing on computers.

“But Dewi, we have no better tool” – what, other than English, every other written language, and every single programming language? Well, if you’re not willing to use any of those, then perhaps design a better terminology, then, and push for it to be accepted. But I can guarantee there is a clear and concise terminology in most programming languages to represent every one of those concepts, and that this terminology will at least be copyable, linkable, and searchable.

And don’t cry that the terminology is unfamiliar and doesn’t have global acceptance in the mathematical community: that is an EXCELLENT feature, for it will mean that you will link to somewhere that clearly defines all your symbols in the language of the rest of your article, and you will actually pick decent variable and function names, instead of arbitrary letters!

]]>By: Howard Covitzhttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html#comment-1623956
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:44:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=204734#comment-1623956I agree with @Boundgear. Formal treatment with set theory is no way to “prime” anybody for anything.
]]>By: TheMadLibrarianhttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html#comment-1623954
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:43:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=204734#comment-1623954All I currently use about statistics is what I learned from playing Champions. 3d6 FTW!
]]>By: Boundegarhttp://boingboing.net/2013/01/09/probability-theory-for-program.html#comment-1623922
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:26:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=204734#comment-1623922I had several years of probability and statistics, back in the 20th century. The formal treatment with set theory is a great way to make a difficult subject much, much more difficult. Take the example above – it’s a die, for chrissakes, only a mathematician could make it so confusing while not shedding any extra light.

It would make much more sense for programmers to take the probability offerings from the engineering school. Same content, but much more practical.